Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
14 February 2025 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Kaleidoscope Studios
Prof Hester Klopper
Prof Hester Klopper, newly appointed Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State.

Re-discovering Our Institutional Heart was the theme of the official opening address of the University of the Free State (UFS) presented by newly appointed UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Hester Klopper, as she addressed UFS staff members in the Odeion Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Prof Klopper sketched the current global, national, and local contexts that have affected higher education in general, and the UFS in particular, giving an overview of where the institution has come from, where it currently is, and where it is going. She emphasised the need to focus on the qualities and research areas for which the university has become well known, and to stay true to the values and principles set out in its Vision 130.

“Vision 130 illuminates our way into the future – expounding how we want to establish ourselves as a top-tier university that is continually extending its influence and impact locally, regionally, and globally,” she said.

 

The institutional heart

Prof Klopper referred to the image of a heart that is reflected in the UFS marketing logo, encouraging staff to rediscover what lies at the heart of the institution, and what sets it apart.

“A university such as ours inevitably forms and moulds the lives and characters of the people associated with it; and in turn, it too is shaped and transformed by those who have graced its campuses over the decades. It too has a character. And it certainly has a heart.”

She elaborated on the metaphorical meanings locked up within the concept of a heart, touching on how it symbolised vitality, flow, and energy, interconnectedness, and a sense of belonging. She also highlighted its significance as a beacon of resilience.

“It is associated with courage and steadfastness. Over the past 120 years, the University of the Free State has prevailed despite adversity and has managed to constantly reinvent itself in order to remain relevant, without losing sight of the values in which it is anchored,” she said.

 

Priorities for tenure

One of the broad focus areas that Prof Klopper identified as a priority during her term was establishing the UFS as an innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem. “This includes advancing transdisciplinary research, moving towards identifying two to three core research themes that address local, regional, and global challenges, and strengthening our unique offering,” she said.

Another focus area will be working towards systemic sustainability, which will include a disciplined approach towards financial management, as well as revision and optimisation of the academic model. She also indicated that internationalisation will be a core theme during her tenure, as will the establishment of the UFS as a first-choice employer and a magnet for talent. To this end, she announced the establishment of a VC Strategic Personnel Fund to grow and attract the best academic talent.

 

Innovation through connection

Prof Klopper concluded that the heartbeat of the UFS lies in innovation through connection.

For her, innovation is expressed in the university’s cutting-edge programme content, its focus on creating a culture of entrepreneurship, optimisation of the academic model, and finding new ways to diversify income streams. On the other hand, connection is reflected in heightened internationalisation, expansive collaborative networks, and a renewed focus on transdisciplinary research and real societal impact through engaged scholarship.

“My sincere wish is that each one of you will rediscover this heartbeat and that it will inspire you this year to take our great institution to even greater heights,” she said.

 

Click to view document Click here for the official opening speech.

News Archive

New Research in Hebrew Language and Culture
2014-01-17

The newly formed Department of Hebrew at the university is hosting an international conference from 27 to 29 January 2014. The conference has speakers from Israel, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, as well as South Africa, Zambia, Congo and Nigeria. The goal of the conference is to highlight recent research in Hebrew language and culture by bringing international scholarship to the university and by highlighting the importance of the African context as a conceptual space for research on Hebrew. The rich cultural heritage of Hebrew finds particular resonance in Africa through the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).

Some highlights from the conference include new research on the use of the ancient Hebrew script by Jews in the Persian and Roman periods as a means to maintain their religious and ethnic identity in times of distress, linguistic research on metaphors in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), Jews and non-Jews in the Hebrew and Yiddish writings of the South African author Morris Hoffman, the development of a rabbinic prayer for rain in the land of Israel and in South Africa, pedagogical advances in teaching Hebrew in Africa, and translation of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) as a means of reshaping VaTsonga cultural identity. 

The study of ancient and modern Hebrew language and culture provides important insights into the complex cultural situation in modern Africa, generally, and South Africa, in particular. The use of language by minority religious and ethnic groups can provide a powerful force for identity in turbulent political realities. Religious texts can be re-contextualised to provide guidance in new cultural contexts or translated to enhance and empower local societies. 

Venue: CR Swart Auditorium 

For more information, contact Prof Cynthia Miller-Naudé, Head of the Department of Hebrew at millercl@ufs.ac.za
 
 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept